Learning the Sinhala Language
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Facts about the Sinhala Language
The Sinhala language is also referred to as Simhala or as Helabasa. Sinhala is the mother tongue of the Sinhalese, who make up the largest ethnic group of Sri Lanka, numbering about 15 million.
Sinhala is also spoken as a second language by other ethnic groups in Sri Lanka (Ceylon). It belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages.
The oldest Sinhala inscriptions found are from the 3rd or 2nd centuries BCE; the oldest existing literary works date from the 9th century CE.
The closest relative of Sinhala is the language of the Maldives and Minicoy Island (India), Dhivehi. Sinhala is actually a Sanskrit term; the corresponding Middle Indic word is Sihala; the actual Sinhala term is Hela (also Elu, Helu).
Our Squidoo lens includes a number of Sinhala learning resources, recommended learning tools, videos, rss feeds, and more. So if you are interested in learning Sinhala check out the resources below.
Sinhala is also spoken as a second language by other ethnic groups in Sri Lanka (Ceylon). It belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages.
The oldest Sinhala inscriptions found are from the 3rd or 2nd centuries BCE; the oldest existing literary works date from the 9th century CE.
The closest relative of Sinhala is the language of the Maldives and Minicoy Island (India), Dhivehi. Sinhala is actually a Sanskrit term; the corresponding Middle Indic word is Sihala; the actual Sinhala term is Hela (also Elu, Helu).
Our Squidoo lens includes a number of Sinhala learning resources, recommended learning tools, videos, rss feeds, and more. So if you are interested in learning Sinhala check out the resources below.
Talk Now Sinhala Beginner Software
Learn 450 Basic Sinhala Words and Phrases
Talk Now SinhalaIF you're new to Sinhala, there are some basics you will have to learn, whether you're eight years old or 80, on business abroad or a tourist on holiday. Talk Now! Sinhala offers a simple-to-use method for you to start learning the language, whoever you are.
Will it work for me?
Lots of people have difficulty learning languages. Why? Most have been put off at school, don't have time to learn, or think they are too lazy to do it.
Talk Now! Sinhala answers these problems:
It lifts the language off the page. There are no dull exercises; just encouraging games that award you points for progress.
It fits easily into short ten-minute sessions. But if you want to push yourself you can learn the basics in a weekend.
if you think you're lazy, think again! You'll be amazed how motivated you can be when you enjoy the experience of learning!
What will I learn?
To speak and understand enough to "get by".
You're just starting, so we won't drop you in at the deep end. There are some things you'll want to say in any language: you'll want to say 'hello', order a drink, ask for directions and so on.
This beginners program gets straight to the point. It covers food, colors, shopping, parts of the body, numbers, telling the time, countries, greetings and essential phrases.
How does it work?
Talk Now! Sinhala gives you easy-to-achieve goals. Learning a new language is far too big a task to tackle all at once, so we have broken it down into a series of rewarding challenges.
Play interactive language games. Talk Now! feeds you new words, along with pictures to reinforce your memory. It then tests your knowledge with fun quizzes. As soon as you start playing you start learning.
Earn points for every game you play. High scorers can go on to win bronze, silver and gold awards, which you can print out as a record of achievement.
You will hear Sinhala all of the time and, using the recording games, you can start speaking straight away, then compare your voice to a native speaker.
You can learn on the move. Carry on learning in the airport lounge or the ferry without a computer. Just print out the phrasebook sheets included in the program and take them with you, or upload the program's sound files onto an iPod.
System Requirements
Windows 2000 or later
Mac OS X 10.3.9 or above
CD ROM Drive (+ computer microphone)
You can also upload words onto your iPod
If you're interested in learning Sinhala, then visit Talk Now Sinhala Software.
Learning Sinhala Resources
Sinhala News and Updates
- Sri Lanka's hidden scourge of religious child abuse
- By Saroj Pathirana BBC Sinhala service But if Children's Affairs Minister Tissa Karaliyadda is to be believed, child abuse in religious establishments by both Buddhist and Christian clergy in Sri Lanka is rampant. Yet according to figures from Sri ...
- Gotabhaya humbles BBC on threat to Tamil
- The BBC was committed to show the world that that the Tamils in the North of Sri Lanka were threatened by Sinhala settlers. This was made clear by Nick Gowing the presenter of BBC's flagship news programme, who introduced Charles Havilland's interview ...
- All are Sinhalese, Tamils have no territorial right: Gotabhaya
- ?Earlier before the war all were Sinhalese,? in Sri Lanka. It is not appropriate to view the north of the country, over which a separatist war was fought, as a predominantly Tamil area, SL presidential sibling and defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa ...
- Reloading General Sarath Fonseka for a Post-Paid Sinhala Package
- People find new relations across North ? South, while marriages are being made most preciously between the Sinhala and the Tamil, said the President, looking beyond the invited audience. ?May the Triple Gem bless you all.
Sinhala News from the BBC
Sri Lanka Photos
CafePress Sri Lanka Products
Learning Sinhala Reader Feedback
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rumbling Mar 20, 2011 @ 12:34 pm | delete
- Sinhala is somewhat difficult language to learn compared to most languages, but it is a beautiful language if you can master it
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by JLumbroso
I write on a variety of topics including foreign languages, culture, history, and religion.
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